Thousands protest to protect public health in Madrid

Thousands of people have taken to the streets in Madrid to defend the public health sector against what appears to be government attempts to privatise some services.

Demonstrators are holding banners and waving flags as they move through the capital. At the beginning of November Madrid moved to privatise ten per cent of public health centers as well as the administration of six hospitals – half of the hospitals in the region.

Of the hospitals to be privatised, all were recently built. Spain’s National Health System (SNS), established in 1986, fulfills a mandate included in Spain’s national constitution. Article 43 guarantees healthcare to all Spaniards, including the right to adequate public health services.